Insole.



C. A. SHARP.

INSOLE. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 3|. 1913.

9 l wg Patented Apr. 2.7, 1915.

tinrrnn iu COLUMUS A.

f ernten,

snaar, or entende, immers.

NSOLE.

anemona.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten am. at', reis.

Application led October 31, 1918. serial Ito. 798,541.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CoLUMBUs A. SHARP, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lnsoles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an insole which will support the foot in such a manner as to relieve muscular-stress and strain which is normally exerted to prevent ,roll of the foot laterally, and the device of my invention is essentially a foot form insole for normal feet in contradistinction to known irregularly formed insoles for malformation or infirm feet.

One of the features of this invention consists in providing an insole with opposing elevation which is so arranged as to coact in resisting roll of the foot to one side or the other. A further object of the invention is to provide an insole With an upper face having undulations extending throughout its length and shaped to conform to and support the foot throughout its length, or preferably throughout its length, so that the insole will support the foot with abutting engagement' extending substantially throughout the area of the lower portion of the foot. lin connection with this feature, special stress wil be laid upon an elevation or undulation which not only supports the foot from rolling movement toward one directionbut which extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the insole sufficiently to support the arch of the foot, and relieve the instep, and which also rolls or undulates from a maximum elevation in declivities extending in opposite directions so as to support the arch o the foot longitudinally, this arch-supporting means merging into the ball and heel portions of the insole.

Other features of novelty will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

lln the drawing: Figure l isa perspective` view of an insole embodying one form of my invention, and showing the same detached from a boot or shoe. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the vamp of a shoe showing one cross section of insole. Fig. 3 is a sectional vlew on line 3`3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

L ike characters of reference designate similar parts thr ughout the dierent gures of the drawing.

As illustrated, the device of my invention shown is designated as a whole at 1 and in Fig. 2, my improved insole is shown disposed upon the usual insole 2 of a boot or shoe, the vouter sole being indicated at 3 and the upper at t.V As far as the device of my invention is concerned, it may be incorporated in the structure of the shoe as a permanent part during formation, or it can be worn in the manner of the usual insole. Usually Where it is Wornin the manner of the usual insole it will act as a filler for boots or shoes that are too large, although this is not to be considered a limitation of utility of my improved insoleas the same can be made of such thinness as to be used in a shoe that normally lits the foot to the correct size. ll also consider it within my invention to eliminate the usual insole 2, and substitute therefor my improved insole in lasting the boot or shoe. In View of describe the features of my improved insole wholly apart'from its`adaptability of any particular method of using the same or incorporating the same in a boot or shoe.

Une of the features of novelty consists in providing the insole with opposing eleva tions, there being two elevations designated at 5 and 6 on the outside or on the outer lateral portion of the upper face of the insole and an elevation 7 on upper face of the insole. The outer elevations 5 and 6 are adjacent the ball and heel portion while the inner elevation 7 is subjacent the arch. The inner elevation 7 eX- tends transversely and longitudinally of the insole sufficiently to support the inside cavity, of the arch, but the arched elevation 7 does not extend transversely, completely across the insole, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. The arched elevation 7 merges transversely and longitudinally into the upper face of the insole on gently curved lines conformable to the shape of thebottom of the foot with a view of eliminating, as far as possible, any spacing of the foot apart my improved the foregoing, I will the inner side of the from `supporting relation with respect to the upper face of the insole, it being a desideratum 0f this invention to provide for abutting contact, of a supporting nature, throughout insole with the foot is in repose, and the muscles are relaxed, it is a comparatively simple matter to provide an insole which will engage the bottom of the foot with abutting contact throughout the area thereof, but when the wearer is walking, or when the foot is otherwise functioning as an active physical element, the muscles are then contracted and .under tension for the purpose of taking strains and stresses in the directions in which they may be imposed, and therefore, it is the object of my invention to even in such a case to provide an insole which will abut the bottom of the foot substantially throughout its area in supporting relation therewith.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 4 that the insole is thicker at the outer side, subjacent the heel, than at the inner side 8, and that the upper face slopes transversely from 5 to 8.

In Fig. 3, the central portion 9, is substantially vhorizontal toward the outer edge 10. However, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, that there is a longitudinal slope from 5 to 10, as indicated at 11, to permit the outer portion of the parts of the foot to seek a support which is natural to its less active supporting portion as compared to the 1nside of the arch. From the point 10, the insole inclines, as at 12, to elevation 6, which is subjacent the ball of the foot, which is a portion more active in muscular posture than that portion of which point 10 is subjacent. From elevation 6, the insole declines, as at 13, toward the toe. As the outer portion of the ball of thl foot is most active, as regards the inner portion of the ball of the foot, I transversely decline the insole subjacent the at 14.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, and also Fig. 1, that from point 15, to the toe 16, the inner edge of the insole, and also transversely thereof to a considerable extent, is reduced in thickness with respect to the outer edge.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the elevations 5, 6 and'7, are substantially triangularly disposed and that the elevation 7 actsin opposition to the elevations 5 and 6 against rolling movement of the foot. Thus it will be seen that when the insole of my invention is used for walking great distances, muscular contraction can be limited to posturing the foot under superposed load of the body, solely, thereby relieving tension of the muscles against resistance to rolling movement of the foot, the result being that the area of the upper face of the the bottom of the foot. When ball of the foot, as indicated the user can walk .a longe` distance without E fatigue and anes ecially fleshy stand on the feet or a lon In order to illustrate the undulations extendingk centrally and lon itudinally of the insole, I have indicated t e same by a dot and dash line 17.

While I have hereinbefore stated that the object of my invention was not to correct malformation or abnormal foot postures such as result in running over of the heel, it will be understood that the device of my invention can be molded, as it were, to fit any form of foot and it is the object so to do, in addition to its being a feature of my invention to provide insoles of stock sizes, which will substantially fit the lower portion of a normal foot. Thus I do not wish to be limited to the provision of insoles for normal feet, and I do not wish to restrict myself against special forms of insoles embodying my invention bein specially molded or shaped for abnormal eet, in such cases where theessential features of my invention are utilized. Thus it will be realized that the triangular opposing elevation might in some cases be advantageously utilized for feet where deformation is present.

It is believed that the objects and advantages of the invention have been fully set forth in the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. An insole shaped to conform to the configuration of a foot having elevations subjacent the ball and heel portions on the outside thereof and sloping transversely and longitudinally of the insole, said insole having an arch elevation on the inside actin in opposition to the outside elevations, sai arch supporting elevation sloping transversely and longitudinally of the insole, said elevations being substantially triangularly disposed and providing an undulated upper surface for preventing the rolling of the foot when the muscles thereof are active.

2. An insole shaped to conform to the configuration of a foot having elevations subjacent-the ball and heel portions on the outside thereof and having an oppositely disposed arch elevation on the inside, said arch elevation extending transversely and longitudinally of the insole suicient to support th'e cavity of the 'arch and emerging gradually into the upper surface of the insole, said heel elevation sloping transversely to the inside edge, said elevation subjacent the ball of the foot declined toward the toe and transversely declined toward the inner edge, and said elevations being triangularly dis`` erson-canc v er period of time without feeling ankle and oot distress which posed and forming undulations on the upper jacent the ball of the foot, said elevation of the insole for preventing rolling of subjacent the ball of the foot declined tothe foot. Ward the toe and transversely declined to- 20 3. An insole shaped to conform to the con- Ward the inner edge, the inner edge of the figuration of a foot having elevations subinsole adjacent the toe and ball portions bejaoent the ball and heel portions on the outing reduced in thickness, and said elevations side thereof and having an oppositely disbeing triangularly disposed and forming unposed arch elevation on the inside, said eledulations on the upper surface of the insole 25 vation subjacent the heel being thicker on. for preventing rolling of the foot when the outside than on the inside and having the muscles thereof are active and inactive.

the upper face thereof sloping transversely In testimony whereof I affix my signature toward the inside, the ciitrzll portionlof thelJ in presence of two Witnesses.

insole bein substantia y orizonta Wit the 'outsidegedga the outside edge of the CULUMBUS A' SHARP heel of the insole being sloped to a point Witnesses:

substantially intermediate the ends and ARTHUR M. HAMMANN, v

thence inclined toward the elevation sub- ALMA WICK. 

